Tag Archives: Japanese

A three day seminar of Iaido may have moved my sword work forward a little but it left my knees extremely battered! Almost as battered as my boken from doing tachiuchi no kurai (the paired exercises we do) which is … Continue reading →

Ego – def. a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Saying someone has a large ego or a super-ego is generally meant as an insult yet arguably we need some ego in order to keep functioning in daily life. Lack … Continue reading →

I have previously mentioned the perils of training with someone who continually over-steps the levels at which you feel confident at training at, but sometimes this a good thing. So what is it that differentiates the partner you train with … Continue reading →

Some years ago, when I was working on ships, my boss asked me to tell the crew not to use compressed air for cleaning up the deck and tank tops. There was a danger paint chippings could go in their … Continue reading →

Three weeks ago, during a wonderful aikido seminar of which I really must type about, I re-herniated a disk in my lower back and was reduced to immobile agony on the mat. Having assured my training partner it was not … Continue reading →

When you consider that at least three of the instructors I am training under in California hold rank of shodan (1st dan) or above in Iaido (Japanese sword work) or other weaponry, then it is not surprising that a good … Continue reading →

What is this abomination?! I admit I became a little snobbish when I saw a martial art school recently advertising in my area. “Little bit of everything, specialising in nothing,” I sneered to my companion. I know I’m not alone … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Tenrokan Aikido Dojo: Jokingly we were discussing the connection between Aikido and the movies as I pointed out Obata Sensei played the villain in the Ninja Turtle Movies. Well in life he’s very much the real deal. …

I have spent an enjoyable weekend training in aikido with Matthew Holland. A question he asked of us was, “what is kokyu?” Now my instant thought was, “breath or air throw,” which indeed was the answer one akidoka gave. But … Continue reading →

There have been occasions when my sensei’s have wiggled their black belts at us and asked, “so, who wants one of these?” (Which then leads to a talk on the need and desire to train regularly and that the belt … Continue reading →

In many martial arts there is a teaching syllabus, with students being awarded progressively higher grades as they become more competent. Formal grading examinations may exist, or a teacher may declare a student to have consistently demonstrated competence at a … Continue reading →

Hakama. For those not familiar with Japanese martial arts hakama are the big baggy trousers (normally black or deep blue) worn over the white gi, (the pyjama like clothing for the uninitiated). There is all sorts of self-imposed dojo etiquette … Continue reading →

There you are, in the dojo, trying to remember what your arms, legs and body need to do and your Sensei comes over and says, “no, no, tsugu ashi, not irimi.” WHAT?! You thought you’d come to learn throws, pins … Continue reading →

A personal journal to share my artistic works, to write about Norse shamanism and traditional paganism, European History, Archaeology, Runes, Working with the Gods and my personal experiences in Norse shamanic practices.

Do you enjoy watching birds? Would you like to expand your expertise by building on your current knowledge of common birds? Do you know which birds to expect in different habitats in Shropshire? Would you like to be able to identify the characteristic birds of the county in different seasons? If so, this course is for you.